If the idea of capturing solar energy from space might seem eccentric, this project on which NASA works almost is impossible: installing a nuclear power plant on the moon. Because to explore our natural satellite and establish a lasting presence there, we obviously need electricity. Nuclear has therefore proven to be the source of energy adapted for such a need, as complicated are the challenges implied by such an installation.
For the American space agency, the idea of installing a nuclear reactor on the moon is not new. In 2022, she had even already awarded five million dollars to companies to design a 40 kW reactor. This installation should be demonstrated by 2031. But given the geopolitical context, Sean Duffy, NASA acting administrator, asked the agency to accelerate the project. Indeed, the United States is not the only ones wanting to colonize the Moon, and among the countries engaged in the race, we find their greatest enemy, China. The latter, allying with Russia, also plans to install a lunar reactor by 2035.
According to Duffy, if the competing nations arrive first on the Moon, they could mark “prohibited areas”, which would then compromise the American exploration program. This is why he wants NASA to deploy an operational nuclear power plant by 2030 – a system of an estimated power at 100 kW.
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Why nuclear?
For a long -term presence on the Moon, absolutely everything would require electricity: the construction of lunar housing, survival systems, or even technical and communication equipment. Many scientists agree that nuclear is the best, even the only source of adapted energy. Solar would not be possible, because a lunar day lasts almost a month. This means two weeks of light followed by two weeks of total darkness.
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But if nuclear seems to be the best option, the implementation of a lunar project raises immense difficulties. The low severity of the moon, for example, would directly affect the dynamics of the fluid in the reactor. In addition, the absence of an atmosphere would make cooling more complex. Not to mention the temperatures, which go from -170 (or even below) at night to more than 100 ° C during the day. In addition, there are many questions related to security, which also require new specific regulations. For NASA in particular, financial difficulties are also promising on the horizon, because by 2026, the agency’s budget will be reduced by 24 %.
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